The cabinet on Wednesday approved a 6 million euro scheme to provide free bus transportation for owners of recalled and immobilised vehicles.
The initiative will provide support until defective components in recalled vehicles are replaced, offering annual bus passes worth 500 euros plus a 5-euro personalised “Motion” card fee per beneficiary.
The scheme covers approximately 11,500 vehicle owners, including 272 currently immobilised vehicles – 138 due to airbag issues and 134 for brake problems – and 82,000 vehicles subject to airbag recalls.
Beneficiaries will access public transport using the existing “Motion” personalised card system already employed in Cyprus’s public passenger transport network.
The annual cost projection of 6 million euros is based on preliminary estimates by the Department of Road Transport, targeting owners who have either had their vehicles immobilised or voluntarily choose to immobilise them.
The Department of Road Transport launched an urgent recall campaign affecting approximately 82,000 vehicles with faulty Takata airbags and brakes, giving owners eight months to complete necessary repairs or face vehicle registration suspension.
The Takata airbag defect, caused by a chemical component that can deteriorate in hot conditions, risks explosive deployment that could project metal fragments into vehicle cabins, potentially causing serious injury to occupants.
It is estimated that at least 27 deaths and hundreds of injuries worldwide have been attributed to the defective Takata airbags.
In Cyprus, at least three deaths have been linked to the faulty Takata airbags.
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